I returned from my trip to Australia and Fiji nearly a week ago and I am still tired. The good news is the sunburn I received from frolicking in the South Pacific at Cloud Nine Floating Bar has finally healed. Speaking of Cloud Nine, here’s a video:
Sorry, got sidetracked there for a minute. I booked the trip down under back in February 2023 for a reasonable fare. Booking hotels or other pertinent travel related items would be taken care of as the trip grew near.
I looked at the calendar one day and we were well into November. This meant the trip was a few weeks away. I booked hotels in Sydney and Fiji, double checked my passport to ensure it had enough time (need over 90 days until expiration to enter Australia), and checked the weather as it was summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
All good? All good.
On the day of the trip, I got a late start because the segment from LA to Fiji was departing LA at 1050pm. This meant I left Wichita Falls at 230pm on American Airlines. There was a quick layover at DFW and I was on my way to LAX.
Although Fiji Airways and American Airlines are both members of the OneWorld Alliance, there is no interline agreement. Meaning I could not check bag through to Sydney. This led to me exiting security at Terminal 4, grabbing the bag from the claim, then making my way to the Fiji check-in counter in Tom Bradley International Terminal, which was not as big a deal since I had four hours to spare.
I bid to upgrade on Fiji Airways to business and was accepted a couple of days prior to departure. This allowed me to make my way to business class line, which did not have a queue. The really nice guy at the counter greeted me with “bula”, which is Fijian for welcome, and then asked for my passport.
We made small talk about my plans in Sydney and Nadi. I asked about lounge access as well. I could not get passes for Matt and I so he had to meet me at the counter to receive one. Once the agent realized that I was not such a bad person, I was asked to place my bag on the scale. My bag was a carry on but I checked it due to the toiletry limits with TSA so it came in underweight. The bag was tagged and on the conveyor.
The last thing the agent asked for was approval confirmation for our Australian Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) application. I said, “a what”? He said, “surely, you applied for the ETA”. I. Had. Not. Before I could say anything else, my bag was off the conveyor with the bag tag removed. He told us, as my buddy had made it from the other side, to step to the side and only come back when we had ETA approval. WTF?
Shell shocked and a bit embarrassed, I moved to the side. I pride myself on knowing the ins and outs of traveling and could not believe I missed this critical step. I frantically began searching the internet for Australian ETA. First hit, “Australia ETA $460 USD”. It appeared we would be staying in LA for a week. LOL. Ain’t no way was I paying that amount.
I went to Reddit and some other places and found there was an Australian ETA app. LFG!
Here is the step by step breakdown:
1. Download the Australia ETA app.
2. Scan the passport with phone camera. This was the most difficult part because there could not be a glare. After scanning, the camera has to be placed against the passport again to search for the chip. It was nuts…this process took about 45 minutes, no lie.
3. Take a selfie. The app requires the applicant to take a selfie to ensure it matches the passport when you enter the country. Due to the lighting or lake thereof, I took about 20 different pics before one was finally accepted. This took another 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Complete personal information. This includes past criminal history, address in Australia and ETA type.
5. Pay for the application. The fee was a mere $20 AUD which was wayyy better than the scammer charging well over $400.
6. Submit the application. Once I submitted, the app said a decision would be made within 24 hours.
7. Approval. I refreshed my email a few times and the approval showed up four minutes after submission.
The email contained a pdf which gave me the specifics about the visa. It was valid for one year, only for tourism, and allowed for multiple entries. The entire process took a little more than an hour but it felt like an eternity.
Talk about a relief. We went back to the counter where everything went as it should. We were quickly airside and healthy to the lounge for a much needed drink.
Final Word
This was a masterclass in what not to do when traveling internationally. You should always ensure you have the required days to enter a given country and follow any other guidance for said country. I usually use the state.gov website to check statuses of the country I will be visiting…usually. This was going to be a hard lesson but we prevailed. I hope this post keeps you from making the mistake!
